Season 3, Week 9, 10, and 11: Smash Up! Sushi! Skulls! Samurai! I ran out of "S" words!

Aaaaaand were back.  Here are the experiences from my Table Top Game Club from November 8th to the 25th.  It's going to be verbose!

Week 9

Smash Up

This week we tried our annual Smash Up Super Draft.  Since the last time we played Smash Up, we expanded the faction collection by adding the supplements It's All Your Fault (dragons, Greek mythology, superheroes, sharks, and tornadoes) and Cease and Desist (parody decks based on Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Transformers, and Star Trek).  This brought our total faction count to 34.  I made some handouts from a Smash Up wiki to give new players quick ideas about each deck.  We had seven players which allowed for two simultaneous games. 

After drawing names and allowing the students to pick, every student got the factions they wanted.  After the first round of games, some students went home.  This left us with four which allowed us to play another round.  I wanted to try Zombies and Ghosts, with both decks taking advantage of cards being played from the discard pile.  It was fun, but I lost both games.  One student won with Superheroes and Shape Shifters.  Copying his big heroes allowed him to bring in massive points in quick succession.  Another student tried Mythic Greeks and The Ignobles (the Game of Thrones parody deck).  The Ignobles had a steep learning curve.  Their technique of giving away minions only to take them back later takes finesse and experience with the game's mechanics.  The ultimate winner was the combination of Geeks and Dragons.  The student playing them figured out quickly how to use the dragons to spoil the bases, and she used the Geeks' rule-bending perfectly.  

 No gaming Friday due to the Remembrance Day holiday.

Week 10

Sushi Go: Party!

I never put too much weight behind Sushi Go!  Last year I treated it like a nice little filler, but with so many other drafting games out there, Susi Go! was off my radar.  When I saw Sushi Go: Party! on the shelf, I paid no attention.  I already had the base game, so I felt there was no need for another version.  Then two things happened: 1) I was overwhelmed by the dilemma of suddenly larger groups of players for my game club, and 2) Tom Vassal of Dice Tower fame released his list of the Top Ten Essential Games of all time (along with lists from Zee Garcia and Sam Healey).  At the top of Tom’s list was Sushi Go: Party!, so I decided to pick up a copy for the club.

I’m incredibly happy I picked it up.  At its heart, Sushi Go! is such a simple game with an easy concept to grasp; players draft cards, hunting for sets of certain types of sushi.  Sushi works like a suit, and points are awarded for matching up these suits into sets.  Some sushi scores at the end of the term, and others score at the end of the game.  Sushi Go: Party differs from predecessor by introducing new kinds of sushi and special cards, like spoons and sushi menus.  The game has several scenarios listed, so after players have tried one version of the game, a new scenario can be put together with new cards.  For a simple drafting game, the variety of the sushi cards keeps the game…pun in 3…2…1…fresh!  That’s right…just let that one linger for a bit…

The students loved Sushi Go: Party!  New players picked up on the rules almost immediately, and veterans were happy with the new variety of cards.  If things felt stale after a game or two, we swapped out cards and changed up the types of sushi.  It was a tremendous amount of fun, but we were finished our session early.  To fill the time, we played a brand new game for the club…Skull!

Skull

Skull is a neat little card game that was featured recently on Shut Up & Sit Down's YouTube channel.  Skull is a very simple bluffing game that can be made with a pack of cards or a stack of bar coasters.  Each player gets four round cards, three featuring flowers, one with a skull. The edition I found on Amazon featured artwork with an international flair.  One player gets a Japanese lotus with a samurai skull.  Another player's cards feature a viking skull with thistles.  Each player plays a card face down.  One by one players either add a card to their stack or make a bet.  Bets are based on how many cards they can flip (starting with their own), and not uncover a skull.  Each player can "raise", claiming they can flip over more flowers, or pass.  If the cards are flipped and the player does not uncover a skull, they score a point, and are halfway to a win.  If they turn over a skull, they get "bit", and lose one of their four cards, hindering their future chances.  The joy comes from making boasts about how many cards one can flip.  The bravado and daring is very enthralling.  Next comes the flipping of cards, which builds the tension nicely, particularly on big bets. Each flower means one step closer to success, but also one step closer to a potential skull.  It's a great dynamic, which leads either to one player cheering as they make their successful bet, or a round of jeers when the skull pops up.

The students loved this game, because everyone is on an even playing field.  There's a great deal of bluffing in the game, but unlike hidden role games like The Resistance or Avalon, this game is not language dependant.  The game is incredibly simple, but there are nuances and depth in the scheming and strategy.  Laying a skull down in front of your own spot and making a huge bet lays a nice trap, assuming someone will take the bait.  I have a feeling this game will make a return, as it's a great filler once a larger game is finished.

7 Wonders

Apparently I have been living under a rock; I've been a hobby gamer for two and a half years, and 7 Wonders has just recently hit my radar.  I've shunted the game out of my head for a while, due largely to another game.  Two years ago as I was building the collection for the game club, I was shown the game Among the Stars.  AtS was described as a "better version of 7 Wonders", but I didn't even know what 7 Wonders was to begin with, so knowing I supposedly had a "better" version kept 7W away from any attention.  However, with the larger turn-outs I've been having, I have been investigating games that play larger groups.  I've been looking for games with large player counts beyond party games, and through my investigation, 7 Wonders has emerged.  I picked up the game, along with the Leaders and Cities expansions respectively.  One of the members of my club was very familiar with the game (he has the 7 Wonders companion app on his phone for his home games), so I asked him to run our Friday session.  

It was tremendously fun, and I was impressed with the blend of nuance and simplicity.  7 Wonders is a card drafting game that combines elements of set collection (as seem in games like Splendor), the card drafting of Sushi Go!, and the historic nod to the ancient world as seen in Sid Meier's Civilization.  It was good to have a few experienced players for the session, because the icons and goals take some adjustment.  We did not play with the expansions, as half of the group were inexperienced players.  The scoring app helped keep everything organised, and I downloaded it later that evening.  This is a game I definitely want to play again, once I am more familiar with the rules and set up.  I'm glad it hit my radar, and I think it's a strong addition to the club.

Friday's session ended with a few rounds of Skull.  I knew this game was going to be a hit. 

Week 11

Coup

It wasn't that long ago that the club played Coup.  The large player count made it a solid choice for this week's session.  Almost every player was an experienced Coup fan from last year, so it was a fun session.  Like visiting an old friend, Coup was provided great opportunity for bluffing and strategy, and speed of the game allowed for multiple games in our two hour session.  There's not much more to report; the students had fun, and that's the goal of the club.

Samurai Spirit

Once again, Shut Up & Sit Down's YouTube channel drew my attention to a game I had not considered.  Once I learned the premise of Samurai Spirit, I ran out immediately and grabbed the game.  Based on the story of The Seven Samurai, the game has the players take on the role of a group of samurai defending a village from a band of raiders.  Players are given a samurai character designed to hold off a certain amount of bandits while defending the village, represented by a small board with tokens representing barricades, farms, and families.  Not only does each samurai have a unique ability, players can temporarily loan their ability to another player.  This gives players a chance to work as a team, devising the best strategies to deal with the waves of attackers.  Each game is played over three rounds, and each round stronger raiders are added to the waves of attackers.  To deal with the increased difficulty, each samurai has an animal spirit they invoke when they are seriously wounded.  It has an almost Incredible Hulk like feeling when you opt to take a wound knowing you can flip over your player card and release your animal side.  It's wonderfully thematic!

Samurai Spirit has several qualities that made it a must have for the club.  It has a large player count (7), is cooperative, and does not take too much time to play.  We had a massive seven player turn-out, and we picked up on the rules very quickly.  It's a game that tends to lean towards Alpha-gaming or "quarter-backing", but with so many players we did not have a single person dominate the table.  Unfortunately, we lost the game.  Like so many other cooperative games, there was one way to win, and several ways to lose.  Either way, it was tremendously fun, and I hope it hits the table again very soon.

For the third time in two weeks, we finished the session with a couple rounds of Skull.  

Thanks for reading folks.  In the next couple weeks, I'll post my top five picks for the holiday, as well as give a special report of how I've incorporated board games into my Creative Writing class.  Talk to you all real soon.

Season 3, Week 6, 7, and 8: Shadows! Trains! Small Worlds! Betrayal! Deception!

Week 6

Shadow Hunters

One of my first blog entries was a rather political piece about elements of racism in the card game (and dice chucking spin-off)Bang!  The issue I had was the representation of Aboriginal people, and the idea that they are a faceless savage hazard without character.  In a high school setting I have to be careful how we present issues associated with race and gender.  For this reason I don’t include Bang! in our repertoire of games, nor would I ever introduce the expansion for Flick ‘em Up called Red Rock Tomahawk, even though the original FeU is one of my favourite titles.  The problem with removing games due to their content is that you sometimes exclude games that are quite fun and engaging, so I was disappointed that Bang! was not something my group would enjoy... but then I met Shadow Hunters.

Shadow Hunters does exactly what Bang! sets out to do: hidden roles, deception, unique win conditions, and over the top wacky violence.  SH also features an intriguing looking board, four and six sided dice, wooden pieces, and some interesting cards.  Players secretly dealt cards indicating their role, Shadow (a creature of darkness), Hunters (warriors who fight the Shadows), and Neutrals (characters who are independent).  The Shadows win if they kill off the Hunters or the Neutrals, Hunters win if they kill of the Shadows, and each Neutral has a specific win condition for that character.  Roles are hidden at the start of the game, but an interesting mechanic called Hermit cards allows players to receive clues about the identities of their fellow gamers.  Players can attack each other, use special weapons or equipment, and attempt to heal themselves and teammates.  Once a player reveals their character, they often trigger special abilities as well.

The students loved this game, and even though SH features player elimination, it did not detract from the experience.  The few times players were eliminated they were eagerly waiting to see who won, especially if it was someone from their own team.  Interestingly enough, both games were won by Neutral characters, who managed to remain quiet and unassuming during each fray.  I think the best part was watching alliances form and crumble within minutes as each other as identities were revealed.  Both games were fun, and I think Shadow Hunters will hit the tables again.

My only major gripe with the game is the card art.  Prior to playing the game, I pulled a few cards and set them aside due to the presentation of women.  Agnes and Allie in particular are an issue, and the character Fuka appears to be dressed in some kind of fetish/nurse wear.  It is very representative of a certain Manga style, but similar to our experience with Blood Rage, I’m just not happy with having to discuss sexism and the presentation of women, especially when half of my club, including staff supervisors, are female.  It’s an easy issue to fix however, no one was the wiser, and the game-play didn’t suffer at all.

Week 7

Ticket to Ride, Small World, Small World: Underground

I decided this week to bust out two of the classics, Ticket to Ride and Small World.  Both game days were well attended.  There’s no need to review how the games are played.  I’ve covered them before, and most gamers are well versed in the two titles.  The students really enjoyed these games, TTR being the more casual of the two.  Tuesday’s session was well attended, and Friday’s session brought in even more students.  One group played Small World: Underground once they were familiar with the base game.

Small World: Underground, for those unfamiliar with the game, is a stand-alone sequel to Small World.  The core concepts are still there, but the game adds some interesting twists.  The “Lost Tribes” are gone, replaced by monsters.  Players can also get unique treasures or score unique locations that grant abilities.  The board is much more claustrophobic, and there are new hazards as well.  Luckily, one of the players is a huge fan of the game, and plays it frequently outside of the school’s club.  He talked the new players through the game, and even though he played as well, a new player won the game.  I find it incredibly rewarding when a student steps up to teach a game.  It lets me step back and be a player instead of a coach.

There’s not much more to report as each session went like clockwork.  People had fun, and playing these titles was like visiting old friends.

Week 8

Betrayal at House on the Hill/Widow’s Walk

Halloween week called for our annual tradition: Betrayal atHouse on the Hill.  The more I play Betrayal, the more an appropriate metaphor for the game begins to coalesce in my brain.  Betrayal is like walking into a massive smorgasbord/buffet restaurant.  At first, you’re amazed at the huge variety of food: pizza, sushi, salmon, Vietnamese spring rolls, Caesar salad, jello, etc, etc, etc.  It’s all immediately impressive, and your mind reels in delight at the sheer number of options… and then… you eat the food.  No one item is particularly amazing.  They range from decent to awful, but you know you might be back because there was no way you could have tried everything on your first visit.  In a nutshell, that’s Betrayal at House on the Hill.  Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s pretty rough.  There are other horror games that hit the mark in a stronger manner (Mansions of Madness, Fury of Dracula, Zombicide, Shadow Hunters), but Betrayal’s appeal comes from variety and never being sure which direction the game will go.  It’s like the buffet restaurant, only you’re served a random plate of food…enjoy!

For Tuesday’s session, I included all of the cards and tiles from the first expansion for Betrayal called Widow’s Walk, which adds new cards, new tiles, new haunt scenarios, and a fourth floor to the house.  The instructions for Widow’s Walk advocates simply incorporating the new tiles and cards into the game, and letting things play out.

Here is where I made a colossal error; I played the wrong "haunt".  We interpreted the chart incorrectly, and as a result, ran with the scenario called "Tentacled Horror".  As a fan of HP Lovecraft and all things Cthulhu, I was happy to oblige being the traitor.  Unfortunately, because we were playing the wrong scenario, the key item the players needed was buried so deep in the Omen stack that they would never draw it out.  They lost, but because we miss-read the Haunt chart.  Yikes... 

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, and chess converts become board-gamers

For Friday’s session, I decided to run a new game I picked up just the day before, Deception: Murder in Hong Kong.  Deception mixes together the best parts of The Resistance, Clue, and Codenames into one easy to play and tense game.  It plays up to twelve people, and can be played multiple times in a session.  The game begins with players being assigned a role.  Most roles are hidden, and some are not used if the player count is too low.  The player who draws the Forensic Scientist essentially runs the show.  The rest of the roles remain hidden until the end.  Players can be Investigators, The Murderer, an Accomplice, or the Witness (the last two roles are optional). Once the Forensic Scientist has revealed their role, the rest of the players receive eight cards, four representing key pieces of evidence, four representing murder weapons.  Everyone closes their eyes except the Forensic Scientist.  The Murderer (and Accomplice if applicable), opens their eyes and points to one of their weapons and one piece of evidence.  If the Witness is in play, the Witness gets to learn the identities of the Murderer and Accomplice, but not which is which.  Once everyone opens their eyes, the fun begins.

The Forensic Scientist tries to get the Investigators to accurately deduce the murder weapon and key piece of evidence.  To do this, the Scientist places bullet tokens on cards that represent the condition of the corpse, cause of death, location, occupations, clothing, etc.  The Investigators begin building a scenario based on the clues, and take three rounds attempting to solve the murder.  The Murderer and Accomplice try to steer suspicion away from the Murderer, while the Witness tries to steer it back in their direction.  If no one successfully identifies the murder weapon and evidence, the Murderer and Accomplice win.  If the Investigators deduce the weapon and evidence, the Investigators and Forensic Scientist win.  The Murderer and Accomplice can steal the win if they can identify the Witness.

This game was very well received.  One thing I found interesting is that most bluffing/hidden role games do not favour EAL students (English as an Additional Language).  Because students struggle with the language, it’s difficult to master the art of bluffing and subtlety.  That’s not the case with Deception.  I think because of the iconic nature of the clues, and the fact that each player is given designated time to present their ideas uninterrupted.  There’s still time to debate the facts and theories, but the playing field is quite level.  Part of the joy is trying to figure out how these strange murders went down, based on the evidence.  How could a victim be poisoned by radiation, but leaving behind a mosquito as key evidence?  In a game as deeply morbid as deception, there’s plenty of room for laughter.

For the last few weeks, Friday sessions have had some extra visitors: chess players.  Every noon hour chess players descend on our library, and there are usually five or six games going at once.  A small, dedicated group like to play after school, but with the library closed by 4:00 on Fridays, the chess players have hung out in my room playing chess while we’ve run our board game sessions.  My fellow staff advisor decided to pitch a board game to the chess crew.  Once again, Ticket to Ride hit the table.  The chess crew really enjoyed the game.  After all, both games are about area control.  They might return to exchange their pawns and queens for meeples and dice.  We’ll wait and see.

Another verbose post.  Thanks to all of you for the positive feedback and readership.

Next week, it’s our annual Smash Up superdraft!